French Property Insurance

French Property Insurance

Under French law a Notaire must always require the production of a current certificate of property insurance before registering the sale of any French property.

What typically happens is this. Your French property insurance, which is always renewed on the basis of Tacite Reconduction, is simply passed on from the vendor to the buyer of the property. It’s quite possible that the policy may even pre-date the vendor, who may have also taken over the policy on the basis of tacite reconduction when they brought the property.

The benefit of this is that you stay legal.

The downside is that you can get stuck with an overly expensive French property insurance policy providing the wrong cover for you. With the wrong cover, your French property insurance may not provide the cover you need.

Worse still your French property insurance may not pay out should you ever need to make a claim – a nightmare scenario.

What’s more the policy will be likely to be written in French and you may not even understand the fine detail of what you are signing up to!

It’s understandable if, in the excitement of completing on the purchase of your new property, a review of the details of your French property insurance was overlooked. It’s not too late.

French property insurance, like all French insurance contracts, can be remarkably difficult to change and the contracts are structured to make it very difficult to change once you have signed up for a policy. This is because under French law French insurers can insist on very lengthy cancellation notice periods and minimum insurance terms.

However, French law does give a new owner the right to choose their own insurer at the time the purchase is completed.

It’s wise to get a new quotation for property insurance that matches your needs and circumstances before you complete the purchase transaction. Then, if a new insurer will provide more appropriate or cheaper insurance cover, you can start with the right property insurance from day one.

Property Insurance Checklist

Before you opt for the default of just taking over an old, possibly out of date, French property insurance policy you should check that the old policy really will suit your needs.

Examples of things you may need to check are:

The house may have been occupied full-time by the vendors, but perhaps you will be leaving it empty between holidays and lets. If so you will need insurance cover for the unoccupied periods, for which a French insurer will charge a supplement.

If you intend to let the property, your home insurer must be aware and accept the risk.

If you plan on undertaking any modernisation, restoration or just upgrading the property the existing level of cover may not be appropriate.

If you plan on equipping and furnishing the property to a higher standard than is typical in the local area you may be underinsured.

The level of cover you will be paying for may offer an inappropriately high level of cover for jewellery, valuables and cash which are already covered on your main home insurance.

That you fully understand the French property insurance policy and the policy exclusions.

Property Insurance In English

If you’re searching for French property insurance Best French Mortgage can offer you the best cover at the best price, just as you would expect.

Policies are provided through one of the UK’s leading specialists in holiday home insurance: The policies are underwritten by Lloyd’s of London and other international insurers.

The policy documents will be in English and the insurance company’s claims department will speak English.

The property insurance policy can cover:

All types of property including Chalets / Log Cabins.

Unoccupied homes.

Loss of rent following a claim.

Accidental damage.

New-for-old replacement.

Emergency accommodation and travel.

Get A Property Insurance Quote

Complete this form to request your free property insurance quotation. If not all information requested is available at the time you submit the form, don't worry. Just enter your contact details and tick the "Contact Me" box and we will contact you directly.

Title

Last name(required)

First name(required)

Email address(required)Giving us your email address will enable us to send you your property insurancequote. We guarantee we will not share you email address with anyone else unless you give us permission to do so. Please see our Privacy Statement for full details

Phone (Business)If you would like us to contact you please remember to give us a telephone number to call you on.

Phone (Home)If you would like us to contact you please remember to give us a telephone number to call you on.

Phone (Mobile)If you would like us to contact you please remember to give us a telephone number to call you on.

I would like to discuss the details, please contact me.If you tick this box please make sure you have given us a contact telephone number.

Please contact me to discuss my needs

I would like to complete the form online

If you are not sure of the property details tick this option and make sure you have given us a contact telephone number. We will contact you directly to discuss your needs.

Main Applicant

Date of birth

DayMonthYear

Address line 1The first line of your home address

Address line 2The second line of your home address if needed

TownTown or City of your home address

Postal codePostal Code or ZIP of your home address

Country

Current employment status

Main occupationIf relevant

Employers businessIf relevant

Is this a joint applicant

Second Applicant

Title (Second Applicant)

First name (Second Applicant)

Last name (Second Applicant)

Date of birth (Second Applicant)

DayMonthYear

Email address (Second Applicant)Giving us your email address will enable us to send you your property insurancequote. We guarantee we will not share you email address with anyone else unless you give us permission to do so. Please see our Privacy Statement for full details

Address line 1 (Second Applicant)The first line of your home address

Address line 2 (Second Applicant)The second line of your home address

Town (Second Applicant)The town or city of your home address

Postal code (Second Applicant)Postal Code or ZIP

Country (Second Applicant)

Phone (Business) - (Second Applicant)

Phone (Home) - (Second Applicant)

Phone (Mobile) - (Second Applicant)Mobile or Cell phone

Current employment status (Second Applicant)

What is your main occupation (Second Applicant)If relevant

What is your employers business (Second Applicant)If relevant

Occupants

Do you own this property

On what basis is the property owned

How Is the Property Used

How many months will the property will be unoccupied forGive an estimate for a typical year

Has the property been unoccupied for more than 6 months prior to your application for insurance

Has the property been purchased specifically to renovate and resell

If the property is let, What is the type of the letIf relevant

Property Details

Tell us about the property to be insured

Property address line 1Address for the property you are insuring

Property address line 2Address for the property you are insuring

Property townAddress for the property you are insuring

Property postal codeAddress for the property you are insuring

Property countryAddress for the property you are insuring

What sort of property is it

If applicable how many flats are in the blockPlease give us the best estimate you can if the actual number is unknown

What is the approximate year that the property was builtPlease give us the best estimate you can if the actual date is unknown

Please try and be as accurate as possible on the year built as insurers often use this to calculate the re-building cost of the property.

Is the property currently occupied

You are occupying the property if you are living in the property as your main home with enough furniture and facilities for daily normal living purposes. Regular visits or occasional overnight stays do not constitute occupancy

If no, how long before the property will be occupied

When occupied, is the property normally occupied during the day

When occupied, is the property normally occupied during the night?:

Is the property a listed buildingPlease select the nearest equivalent

These are the UK categories. Please select the equavalent for the country in which the property is located

Number of rooms

The count of the number of rooms excludes bathrooms halls or landings and rooms that can only be used for storage. All other rooms (for example kitchens living rooms bedrooms utility rooms integral garages and studies) are counted. If two rooms have been converted into one they are counted as one room. Shared rooms (e.g. shared kitchens with another flat) are not included

Number of bedrooms

You should count rooms that have been originally designed as a bedroom even if the room is not currently used as a bedroom.

Number of bathrooms

Please state how many bathrooms are in your property

Cover Required

Buildings cover amount

Buildings insurance is designed to re-imburse you for the cost of rebuilding or repairing your property in the event of damage. Cover normally includes the structure of the home and in general this will include walls, roof, floor, foundations, plumbing, wiring, windows and doors.
Within the home Buildings Insurance will also normally include permanent fixtures such as fitted kitchens and fitted bedrooms.Outside the home (but within the property as a whole) Buildings Insurance also usually extends to Outbuildings, garages, sheds, greenhouses, paths drives and walls.
The building should be insured for its full rebuilding cost, not the market value of the property.Wear and tear is not covered.Many people insure their home for the market price, but this may well be too high (in which case they will be paying too much), or too low (in which case they will be Underinsured).
Listed Buildings, or Buildings made with particularly expensive materials, may well cost more to rebuild than their current market value.

Contents cover amount

Contents usually includes everything in the home belonging to you, your family and other residents of the home. It also includes other property for which you may be responsible (for example a rented television). Generally everything which is not permanently fixed within the building is covered. Furniture, furnishings, carpets (including fitted carpets), curtains, electrical goods, household goods and clothes.

Have you or anyone who normally lives with you suffered any loss or damage within the past 5 years (whether or not a claim was made)

Claim History

If you have suffered loss or damage in the last 5 years under which type of insuranceIf Relevant

If you or anyone who normally lives with you has suffered any loss or damage within the past 5 years (whether or not a claim was made) what was the cause

Accidental Damage

Accidental Damage to Audio/Visual Equipment

Accidental Loss

Accidental Loss Of Contents

Aircraft

All Risks - If A Type Not Already Listed

Breakage/Collapse Of TV Aerials

Burst Pipes

Coastal Flood

Collision - Aircraft/Vehicles/Livestock

Drains and Underground Tanks

Earthquake

Employers Liability

Escape Of Oil

Escape Of Water

Explosion

Explosion - Caused by Terrorism

Falling Trees

Fire

Fire - Caused by Arson

Fire - Caused by Terrorism

Flood

Freezer Breakdown

Freezer Contents

Glass/Mirrors

Ground Heave

Ground Heave/Subsidence/Landslide

Impact

Landslide

Landslip

Liability

Lightning

Loss Adjuster Fees

Loss Adjuster Payments

Loss of Currency/Credit Cards

Malicious Damage

Malicious Damage/Riot

Public Liability - Buildings

Public Liability - Contents

Removal/Transit

Repair of Blocked Sewer

Riot Civil Commotion

Riverine Flood

Sanitary Ware

Storm Damage

Subsidence

Theft

Theft - Locks and Keys

Theft Away from Home

Theft from Car

Theft from Outbuildings

Travel - Baggage

Travel - Cancellation

Travel - Curtailment/Abandonment

Travel - Delayed Baggage

Travel - Delayed Departure

Travel - Emergency Medical Expenses

Travel - Hijack

Travel - Inability to Ski

Travel - Legal Expenses

Travel - Loss of Passport

Travel - Missed Departure

Travel - Personal Accident

Travel - Personal Liability

Travel - Personal Money

Travel - Piste Closure

Travel - Ski Equipment

Travel - Ski Pack

Underground Service Pipe

Not Covered By Any Other Item On The List

Claim status

Amount of claim

Date of claim

DayMonthYear

Additional claim information

Security

Please tell us what security measures have been installed at the property

Are security locks fittedThese should conform to the local equivalent of British Standard (BS) 3621

Are all external doors fitted with key operated security locks which confirm to the local equivalent of British Standard (BS) 3621 and are all windows fitted with integral key operated window locks?: